Brexit EXPLAINED: How Dominic Grieve has KILLED no-deal Brexit

ARCH-Remainer Dominic Grieve won his bid to amend the Withdrawal Agreement in an attempt to give Parliament the opportunity to continue to debate on Brexit after - and if - Theresa May's deal is voted down by MPs on December 11.

The Conservative backbencher claimed he was compelled to renew his June 2018 amendment as, despite voting against himself when he presented it to the House of Commons, he believed the Prime Minister's negotiating efforts failed to reassure him. The motion, which was voted in favour of by the House, could allow MPs to present further amendments to the House to ensure a Brexit no-deal scenario would be completely eliminated.

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Mr Grieve said: “The House will recall that back in last June issues arose about how the House should proceed in the event of the Government’s motion being rejected.

“That time my Rt. Honourable friend the Prime Minister presented to me that if the motion were tone made amendable- the motion to be considered thereafter - it would in some way interfere with her ability to negotiate.

“Which is why having reflected on her view I took the decision to vote against my own amendment when it was presented to this House because I listened to what she had to say to me.”

He added: "But the reality remains that we have an unsatisfactory procedure to resolve differences of opinion in this House, if and obviously, it's an if, we come to a point where the Government does not succeed on its motion and the opportunity exists this afternoon to cure that anomaly.

We have an unsatisfactory procedure to resolve differences of opinion in this House

Dominic Grieve

"And as was so rightly said by the speaker for the opposition, it is contrary to all sensible practice and I have to say slightly disrespectful of the role of this House, that we should end up with a situation in which we have unamendable motions for consideration at a time when Parliament ought to be fully focused on trying to find means of resolving outstanding issues.

"And it's for that reason that I put forward this amendment which would in very simple terms cure that problem and provide reassurance even before we start on these really important debates, that whatever the outcome next week we have a means of continuing the debate thereafter if we need to in a way that must be in conformity with what any right-thinking member of this House would think to be the proper procedure and process to adopt."

Following a short debate, Theresa May's Government suffered a third Commons defeat of the day after MPs approved an amendment from Tory Dominic Grieve which aims to give them a greater say should the Brexit deal be defeated on December 11.

Commons leader Andrea Leadsom urged in vain the former Tory minister to abandon his bid to give MPs a greater role in shaping Brexit should the Government's deal be defeated next week.

Ms Leadsom told Mr Grieve to "focus on the matter at hand" rather than what would happen if the deal falls.

She said: "I recognise the desire of (MPs) to ensure that their views are fully expressed if the vote on the deal does not pass, however I would encourage members at this stage to focus on the matter at hand.

"I would gently suggest that now is not the time to preempt whether or not further motions under Section 13 may be required as such I would encourage members not to press this amendment to the vote."